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Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta

Garlic Parmesan chicken pasta with a silky garlic Parmesan cream sauce coats every strand of spaghetti or fettuccine. Golden sliced chicken sits over the top, finished with fresh basil and shaved Parmesan for a creamy weeknight chicken pasta dinner.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 830
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 0.5 salt to taste
  • 0.25 tsp pepper to taste
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder to taste
  • 0.5 tsp Italian seasoning to taste
Pasta and aromatics
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 12 oz spaghetti or fettuccine cooked; reserve 1 cup pasta water
  • 5 clove garlic minced
Cream sauce
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup pasta water as needed for consistency
For serving
  • 1 fresh basil for serving
  • 1 tbsp extra Parmesan for serving

Equipment

  • 1 large skillet

Method
 

Cook the chicken
  1. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken for 5–6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through to 165°F, then rest and slice thin.
Make the garlic Parmesan cream sauce
  1. In the same skillet, melt the butter and cook the minced garlic over medium heat for 1 minute. Pour in the heavy cream and chicken broth and simmer for 4–5 minutes until slightly thickened.
Finish and loosen the sauce
  1. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes until smooth. Add reserved pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce coats the pasta well.
Toss and serve
  1. Toss the cooked spaghetti or fettuccine in the garlic Parmesan sauce until glossy and evenly coated. Divide among plates, top with the sliced chicken, and garnish with fresh basil and extra Parmesan.

Notes

For the silkiest sauce, add pasta water gradually—start with 1/4 cup and stop when the sauce clings to a strand of pasta. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of milk or cream to restore texture. Freeze is not recommended because the cream sauce can break when thawed. To make it lighter, swap half the heavy cream for evaporated skim milk while simmering.